Pattern and Non-Pattern word lists and how they can help with tough cryptograms

What are pattern and non-pattern word lists and how do you use them? The easiest way to explain pattern word lists is with two examples, the first employing a numbering method for repeated letters and the second employing a lettering method for all letters.

Suppose you have a cryptogram containing the words PEOPLE enciphered as FXSFHX and the word NETTLES enciphered as GXDDHXQ.

The numbering method for pattern words

Take FXSFHX and GXDDHXQ and number each letter like so:

FXSFHX GXDDHXQ 123456 1234567

Next, take off the number (in order) of each letter repeated in the word to form the pattern. Leave a space between the numbers for different letters:

FXSFHX GXDDHXQ 123456 1234567 14 26 26 34

14 26 is the pattern word for FXSFHX and 26 34 is the pattern word for GXDDHXQ.

Note that this method of creating pattern words only works when a letter is repeated in the word.

The lettering method for pattern words

Take each word and replace the first letter with A. Replace all other duplicates of that letter with A as well. Then replace the next letter in the word with B and repeat.

FXSFHX GXDDHXQ ABCADB ABCCDBE

ABCADB is the pattern word for FXSFHX and ABCCDBE is the pattern word for GXDDHXQ.

Non-pattern words

Non-pattern words are simply words that have no repeated letters.

Consult your pattern (or non-pattern) word lists

Having derived your pattern (or non-pattern) word you would then consult your list of pattern (or non-pattern) words categorized by the number sequences of the duplicated letters or by the letter sequences.

Where do you find such lists? You can compile them yourself or purchase them. For purchase you might wish to check with

Aegean Park Press

which offers a nice selection of pattern word lists.

Or you might keep on the lookout for these types of lists in book or booklet format in the puzzle, language or reference sections of used book stores.

Or if you are of a programming bent you might take an online dictionary and write a program to create the pattern word lists.

Or you might wait in hopes that I will get around to writing such a program. Heheh.

Regardless of how you come by your pattern word lists, once you have them they can prove invaluable for breaking into challenge cryptograms or cryptograms that do not exhibit the letter and word frequencies that are common to written English.

For example, I can take the number format (14 26) of the first word in the example above and consult my PATTERN-WORD LIST Volume 1 by Frederick D. Lynch. On page 24 I find no less than 137 words that fall under this pattern but only the following 24 are 6 letters in length:

aerate asians asrams briber cancha cercle concho esters gangwa gilgai indign keckle laelia octoic oleoyl osmous people proper sarsia tantra tostao triter tritor unturn

I leave it to you as the reader to apply this information to the cryptogram I have created for 4/15. As always, have fun.